Two dead, shops razed in fresh Tana clashes

Two people have died and several homes and shops burnt to ashes after two communities clashed over grazing land in Tana River County.

Tension has been high for the last three days at Hurara, Katsangani, Miticharaka, Msurujani villages of Garsen Sub-County in Tana River County after a pastoralist community invaded grazing lands in the farms belonging to another community.

“They came in numbers with their animals armed with crude weapons and started grazing their animals on our farms and when we ask them to leave they start attacking us,” said Nicholas Benza, a resident at Katsangani.

It is alleged that this is not the first time but rather it has become a trend that is repeated every time between the months of May and August.

“This is the sixth year we are having this problem, the pastoralists just come when we have food in our farms,” expressed Thomas Dzombo.

Some locals have started fleeing from the area fearing for their lives.